Palestinian gunman killed in West Bank clashes with IDF

A Palestinian gunman was killed and four others were wounded in clashes early Friday morning during an Israeli operation in a refugee camp in the West Bank city of Tulkarem, according to Palestinian media reports and the Israeli military.

The Palestinian Authority’s official news agency, Wafa, said 23-year-old Mahmoud Jihad Jarad was brought to the Tulkarem Governmental Hospital after being fatally shot in the chest, where he was pronounced dead.

A Telegram account thought to be tied to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed Jarad as a member and a “fighter” in the terror group, adding that he was killed while clashing with Israeli forces.

Among the other four wounded men in the Tulkarem Camp, one was reported by Wafa to be in serious condition.

A spokesperson for the Israel Defense Forces told The Times of Israel that troops were conducting “proactive activity” in Tulkarem, when Palestinian rioters and gunman attacked forces.

“Suspects threw stones and explosives, set tires on fire, and launched fireworks at IDF soldiers,” the military spokesperson said.

الش هيد محمود جهاد جراد ارتقى في اقتحام جيش الاحتلال لطولكرم هذه الليلة فيما أصيب في الاقتحام 8 مواطنين اخرين. pic.twitter.com/lmFO3FpAqL

— وكالة شهاب للأنباء (@ShehabAgency) August 11, 2023

The IDF said Palestinian gunmen blocked roads and opened fire at Israeli forces, causing damage to a number of military vehicles.

Troops returned fire at the gunmen, the spokesperson said, adding that a number were hit.

No soldiers were hurt during the clashes.

Also Friday, Palestinian gunmen opened fire from a vehicle at an IDF post near the West Bank town of Yabed, close to Jenin, the military said.

The IDF said troops returned fire at the gunmen who fled and later found dozens of shell casings in the area from which the assailants opened fire.

No injuries or damage were caused in the attack.

Violence has surged across the West Bank over the past year and a half, with a rise in Palestinian shooting attacks against Israeli civilians and troops, near-nightly arrest raids by the military, and an uptick in attacks by extremist Jewish settlers against Palestinians.

Palestinian terror attacks in Israel and the West Bank have left 26 people dead and several others seriously wounded since the beginning of the year. According to a tally by The Times of Israel, 170 West Bank Palestinians have also been killed during the same period — most of them during clashes with security forces or while carrying out attacks, but some were uninvolved civilians and others were killed under unclear circumstances, including by armed Israeli settlers.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.